Never Travel Alone: RED EYE

Director Wes Craven knows what he is doing. I sat back during the first 25 minutes of RED EYE and just watched for clues. It is amazing, if you watch close enough, you get all the details you will need for the rest of the movie, you only need to wait for them to be paid off. Like a photo on the table of a girl with a field hockey team … leading to the appearance of a field hockey stick 70 minutes later.

Rachel McAdams plays the manager of a hotel on a return flight from her grandmother’s funeral. Cillian Murphy is the creepy guy sitting next to her who is part of terror plot that is taking advantage of her hotel. She spends the movie trying to avoid helping the terror plot and escaping her stalker. Not so much a scary movie as a thriller, Red Eye was a joy to watch, pure suspense. It was so well made, I felt like I could just sit back and watch, and that rarely happens. The 2^nd act, entirely on an airplane in flight, is perfect and a great location for a movie – it’s a place we’ve all been stuck. The performances are spotless, from the leading duo, down to the extras on the plane. Brian Cox is especially good as McAdams’ father. Really there is little I can say about Red Eye except if you haven’t seen it, you really should. It is short, tight, and flawless. I was so full of adrenaline after the movie I was up for about 3 hours.

Red Eye is recommended for those who look suspiciously at the people around them on the airplane, fans of great thrillers, and anyone wants to see the female heroine not need a man to help her overcome her threats. Rick’s Rating: A.